George Gervin on Bears' Caleb Williams: 'Iceman' nickname already taken

George Gervin isn’t looking for a beef. But when he found out that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams applied to trademark the “Iceman” nickname, the former San Antonio Spurs star decided to fight for the moniker he believes is his.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Williams],” Gervin told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. “He’s already proved greatness and his potential upside is great. Like an ‘Iceman.’ But that name is taken. …

“All I’m saying is: Young fella, we've already got one ‘Iceman.’”

Gervin, who won scoring titles in four different pro seasons, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 after a career that included 11 years with the Spurs as well as stops with the Virginia Squires and, for one season, the Bulls. He once averaged 29.5 points per game at Eastern Michigan and is best-known for his finger roll shot.

Caleb Williams Holding, Inc., submitted four trademark applications on March 16 related to “Iceman” — for the name, a logo and two silhouettes that mimic Williams’ pose as he rolled left, jumped and completed a pass to Rome Odunze in the Bears’ playoff win against the Packers. Goods and services related to the name include, among other things, athletic bags, water bottles, sweatshirts, T-shirts, jerseys, hats, sports equipment, eyewear and downloadable posters and trading cards.

On March 20, four days after Williams’ application was filed, Gervin Interests LLC filed trademark applications for both “Iceman” and “Iceman 44,” referencing Gervin’s jersey number. Related goods and services include entertainment services and personal appearances by Gervin in addition to T-shirts, hats, shirts, wristbands, sweatshirts and other pieces of apparel. The application notes that Gervin’s “Iceman” nickname was first used by him in commerce in 1979.

Jerald Barisano, president/CEO of Gervin Global Management, said he wrongly believed Gervin’s nickname was already trademarked, owing the confusion to the death of a business associate.

It will be months before the applications are processed; the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is currently reviewing applications from early November. Barisano said he and Gervin plan to contest the trademark if it’s granted to Williams.

“We are hoping the inspectors will do the right thing,” Barisano said. “All they’ve got to do, is, do one Google search and they’ll see hundreds and hundreds of articles on the ‘Iceman,’ George Gervin.”

Williams was given the nickname last season for having ice in his veins late in games. His celebration — rubbing his opposite biceps with his hands, as if he were cold — came from Chelsea soccer player Cole Palmer, who does something similar.

Gervin, who said he was given the nickname in 1973, once met another “Iceman,” Chicago soul singer and eventual Cook County commissioner Jerry Butler. Their nicknames, he said, didn’t cause confusion because they were famous for different reasons.

Like Gervin, though, Williams is an athlete.

“I’m really the ‘Iceman’ in sports,” Gervin said.